The Chinese Room has made a wave of layoffs, according to former employees posting on social media platforms like LinkedIn. The studio saw considerable success last year with Still Wakes the Deep and Dear Esther, and is contributing a substantial amount to the development of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
However, despite the layoffs, Paradox Interactive, the publisher behind Bloodlines 2, insists that development won’t slow down and the game is still on track for release in October 2025.
‘We Are None of Us Safe’
In a post on LinkedIn, a former employee of The Chinese Room made a dramatic statement after being laid off:
We are none of us safe from the headsman’s axe when redundancy time comes around.
Another explained:
The scurge of redundancy has struck.
(Thanks to Game Developer for the quotes)
The Chinese Room was pivotal in pushing out Still Wakes the Deep in 2024, an award-winning horror title with a unique premise. It was just a few days ago that Siren’s Rest, the first major expansion for the game, was released.
The team at The Chinese Room has also worked on Dear Esther, Little Orpheus, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. Currently, the studio is head down and busy working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
Paradox Interactive, the publisher of Bloodlines 2, set the record straight by stating that development on the game won’t be impacted by this round of layoffs and that it will be released in October as originally intended.
In a message to PC Gamer, it was confirmed:
Development on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is unaffected by the recent staffing changes at The Chinese Room; the game is still scheduled for an October release. We wish those affected the best of luck on their future endeavors.
Let me know your thoughts about these latest layoffs over on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that concept art from a cancelled Batman game has appeared online
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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